Hearse



Sept. 9, 1930.

w. T. JACOBS 1,775,463

HEARSE Original Filed Feb. 14, 1929 3 Sheds-Shoot Sept. 9, 1930. w. T. JACOBS 3 YHEARSE Original Fil ed Feb. 14, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 9, 1930.

w. T. JACOBS HEARSE Original Filed Feb. 14. 1929 5 Sheeti-Sheot 3 A v m i -5 A \\\\\k m I Patented Sept. 9, 1930 I UNITED STATES PLA E NT OFFICE WALTER 'r. moons, or summer, ILLINOIS, 'ASSIGNGR, BY MEsnE ASSIGNMENTS, TQ BIG aocx RANCH coMPeNY, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. A CORPORATION 01 C LIFORNIA "HEARSE Application filed February 14, 1929, Serial No. 339,876. Renewed Tebruary 3, 1930.

My invention relates to an improvement in hearse construction, more particularly of the type to deliver the casket through openings at either side of the hearse body.

My present invention is a modification of v the earse construction of my'pendi'ng application for United States Letters Patent Se- 'rial No. 319,674, filed November 15, 1928, which relates to a hearse construction in which power-operated mechanism is provided for actuating the platform on which the casket is supported.

.My primary object is to provide as a part,

of the power mechanism a controlling element which, in turn, is controlled by the platform in swinging it out of centra ized, nor- .mal position in the hearse; and other'objects as will be manifest from the .following description.

-Referring to the accompanying drawin s:

igure 1 is a horizontal plan sectionof a hearse embod in my invention, the casketsupporting p at orm being shown in plan, with a portion broken away to disclose cer tain details of the structure beneath it.

' Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal sectional elevation of the structure-of Fig. 1, the section being taken at the line 2-2 on Fig; 1-

Figure .5 is a perspectiveview of the drive mechanism for the platform; and

Figure 6, an enlarged sectional View taken at the line 6 on Fig. 5 andviewed in the di-' rection of the arrow.

Referring to the'particular construction illustrated, 7 represents the main floor of the hearse body secured by the ordinary means to the hearse chassis 8. J 9 is a secondary, or auxiliary, floor parallel with the main floor 7 and spaced a suflicient distance above the latter to provide a space for the platform-operating means heremafter described.

- As shown the' auxiliary floor 9 contains a guide slotl0 extending longitudinally of the hearse body and preferabl midway between Immediately above, and parallel with, the

auxiliary floor 9 is acasket-supporting platform 12 upon which rests the casket represented at 13, the platform 12 being provided with rollers 14 at its opposite ends to facilitate sliding of the casket from the platform,

the platform being movably supported upon the auxiliary floor 9 by a series of ball bearing supports 15.

The casket-supporting platform 12 is adapted to swing the casket forwardly and laterally to permit delivery of the latter through either of. vthe side openings of the hearse body above referred to and represented at 16, these openingsbei-ng equipped with swinging doors 17.

Depending from the rear portion of the platform 12 is a drive member represented generally at 18 andadapted to move in the longitudinal slot 1 0, this member being shown in detail in Fig. 6 and comprising a vertical shaft 19 connected at its upper end with the inner raceway 20 of a ballbearing, the outer race-way 21' of which is confined in a housing 22 secured to the underside of the platform 12. a

The lower end of the shaft 19 extends through a guide block 23 which ispreferably of rectangular shape in plan and extends into the longitudinal slot 10. The lower edge of this block is flanged as represented at 24 at which portion it is provided with a series of ball bearings 25 positioned to contact with the underside of the auxiliary floor 9 when the platform 12 projects outwardly through either of the side openings 16 of the hearse body, the shaft 19 being provided with a head 26'located below the underside of the block 60 sides of the hearse body andhereinafter, re-

23 to prevent upward displacement ofthis shaft.

The drive member also comprises a nut orming member secured to, and depending from, the block 23 for cooperation with a drive member hereinafter described. The nut member illustrated comprises a housing 27 secured to the underside of the block 23 with alining openings 28 at its opposite ends, and a removable worm block 29 confined therein, the housing 27 having a depending projection 30 at its front end, for the purpose hereinafter described.

The worm block 29 is held in the housing 27 against turning but is slidable therein, coil springs 31 being interposed between the block 29 and the ends of the housing 27 and through which the platform is driven by the book 29.

Extending through the nut member and engaing the threads of the block 29, is a worm drive shaft 32 located in the space between the floors 7 and 9 and journalled in bearings 33 and 34 on the -floor 7, to extend directly below, andparallel with,the guide slot 10, this shaft serving as a means,.when operated as hereinafter described, to bodily shift the platform 12 into the desired position.

Secured to the underside of the casket-supporting platform 12, forwardly of the drive member 18, is a depending lateral .guide member 35 which extends through the slotted portion of the floor 9, this guide member being preferably formed of a stud depending from the platform 12 and a roller 37 journalled on this stud and located in the plane of the floor 9.

It may be here stated that the provision of the slots in the floor 9, together with the drive member 18 and the guide member 36, is to permit the platform 12 to be moved into a position substantially at right angles to the length of the hearse with its forward end portion extending laterally outwardly through either of the side openings 16, as desired.

In the arrangement shown the guide member 36, when the platform is in the normal full line position shown in Fig. 1, extends coincident with the uncture between the slots 10 and 11, permitting the operator, by swinging the platform 12 atits pivotal connection with the member 23 into a. position in which the guide member 36 extends into the inner end of either one .of the slots 11 whereby when power is applied to the platform to move it toward the front end of the hearse the guide member 36 will continue its movement along the particular one of the slots 11 into which it was positioned as stated, to cause the forward end of the platform to (5b tend into the right angle position above referred to, the position occupied by the plat- 65 form when projected through one of the side openings 16 of the hearse body being that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The drive shaft 32 extends forwardly to the front of the hearse where it is connected by ear mechanism 38 with the armature sha t 39 of an electric motor represented at 40 and shown as located between the floors 7 and 9, a manually operable clutch 41 being interposed at a break in this shaft to permit of its disconnection from the motor 40, if desired.

The motor 40, which is of a reversible ty e and the switch mechanism therefor, is of tlie same construction as that disclosed in my copending application above referred 'to. It

will therefore be sufiicient to say that the m0- tor is driven in one direction by closing the switch 42 and in the opposite direction by closing the switch 43 each of these switches being of a type comprising a push bar 44 operative, when pushed to the right in Fig. 5, to close the circuit therethrough.

The switches 42 and 43 are operated through the medium of controlling mecha nism comprising a rock shaft 45 shown as journalled in a yoke-shaped bracket 46 secured to the floor 9, the ends of this shaft, preferably deflected as represented at 47, ex tending into a position accessible to the driver of the car. The shaft 45 has rigid thereon a pair of crescent shaped cams 48 and 49 extending into different angular positions about the shaft 45 and adapted to close the circuit at the normal open switch devices 42 and 43, respectively.

The operator to shift the platform to a. position in which it extends laterally through one of the side openings of the hearse body rotates the shaft 45 in one direction to close one of the switches 42 and 43, the driving of the platform in the reverse directionto move it back to the full line position shown in Fig. 1 being effected by rotating the shaft 45 in the opposite direction to close the other of the switches 42 and 43. The construction shown also comprises means for automatically shifting the shaft 45 to neutral position, in which both of the switches 42 and 43 are open, at either of the limiting positions of the casket-supporting platform 12, these means comprising a stop-control yoke 50 mounted to slide lengthwise of the hearse in guides 51 (one only of which is shown) provided on the floor 7, and pivoted at its forward end to a link 52 which, in turn, is pivoted at its forward end to an arm 53 rigid on the shaft 45, the yoke 50 being provided with a pair of laterally extending spaced apart arms 54 and 55.

The arrangement of the parts is such that assuming the operator rocks the shaft 45 clockwise in Fig. 5 to engage the cam 49 with the switch 43 for closing the circuit which operates the motor 40 in a direction to draw the platform 12 forwardly, in which movement of the shaft 45 the yoke 50 is shifted rear whereupon the motor 40 stops. 1

An auxiliary, hand-operated, shaft 56 jourwardly, the arm 55 becomes positioned in the path of forward movement of the projection of the drive member 18 when this guide 1 member approaches a osition in which the platform 12 extends substantially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of thehearse as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereupon continued forward movement of'the drive member 18 shifts the ypke 50 forwardly and rocks the shaft 45 to neutralpo'sition and the motor 40 stops.

To return the platform 12 to normal position shown by full lines in Fig.1, the operator rotates the shaft in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 5'to close the circuit for reversely driving the motor 40, the. shaft 45 in this movement moving the yoke forwardly into a position in which the arm 54 extends 4 into the path of rearward movement of the .projection'30 on the drive member 18 asthe latter nears the limit of its rearward movement in which the platform 12 assumes the position shown in full lines in Fig.1, the final rearward movement of the member 18 operating to rotate the shaft 45 to neutral position nalled on the hearse body and geared to the shaft 32, by the gears 57 and 58, between the clutch 41 and the drive member 18, is rovided to permit of the hand operation 0 the platform forwardly, before the swinging of the platform 12, by the operator, into a position'in which the guide member 35 becomes positioned in one of the other of the lateral guide slots 11, I provide a lock device for the shaft 45 which normally locks this shaft against rotation and is automatically released, to permit the shaft-.45 to be operated, upon the swinging I movement of the platform, as above stated a The means shown for this purpose comprise a rock shaft 61 jolirnalle'd in any suitable way to extend into the space between the floors 7 and 9 in a direction crosswise ofthe drive shaft 32, the shaft 61 being provided with an arm 62 rigidtherewith and having a the shaft 61 is an arm .66 pivotally connected at its other end, as .re' resented at 67, Wltll' the lower end of avert cally disposedrod 68 terminal tooth 63'to be received into a peripheral notch 64 in a disk 65 rigidly secured to the shaft 45. Rigidly secured at one end to swinging of the platform. a Referring to the illustrated meansfor 0on located in alinement with the slot 16 and in a plane between the ends of the platform 12 (considering the latter in the full line position shown in Fig. 1) ,and slidable in an opening 69 in the floor 9, the upper end of the rod 68 havin a rounded head 70 which in the-normal, ull line position, (Fig. '1) extends into a socket 71 in the underside ofthe' platform 12.

vThe bar 68 is yieldingly pressed upwardly, and the arm 62 pressed downwardly to'enter the tooth 63 in the notch'64 in the neutral position of the shaft 45 for locking this shaft against rotation as for example, by the coil spring 72 connected at its upper end with the floor 9 and at its lower end tothe arm 66.

It will be understood from the foregoing that in the normal, centralized, position of the platform 12 the shaft 45 is locked against rotation, but upon the swinging of the platform at its front end,.by the operator, into a position in which the guide member 35 extends into either of the slots .11, the rod 68 will be automatically pressed downwardly against the action of the spring 72 thereby by any suitable means, such,

withdrawing the tooth 63 from .the notch 64 v and permittin the shaft 45 to be rotated.

.It is clesira 1c in a, construction of this character that the platform when in normal,

centralized, position beheld firmly against swinging during the travel of the hearse along the road. In the particularQconstruc- 'tion shown the rod 68, serves not only to perform the function as above descri ed, but

also to prevent such lateral, accidental,

trolling the clutch 41, such means comprise a clutch sleeve 73 splined to, and slidable along, oneof the shaft sections, 32 and enagedby' a yoke bar 74 pivoted at 75 to a bracket 76 secured to the underside of the floor 9 and pressed by aspri ng 77 into clutching position. The upper end of the bar-'74 extends opposite to, and is engaged by, the peripheral portion of a cam 78 fixed on the lower end of a shaft 79 rotatable in the floor 9 and provided at its upper end with an arm- 80 by which the cam may be rotated to with draw the clutch element 73 from clutching position.

While I particular construction embod ing my invention, I do not wish to be vun erstood as in-,

tending to limit it thereto. as the, same may have illustrated and described a be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-is: a a

1, In a hearse of the side-dellvery type, a platform, power-operated means for moving said platform lengthwise of the "hearse,

said platform being adapted'toswing at one efid toward'a side of the hearse, a laterally extending guide engageable by a portion of said platform, and controlling means for said power-operated means comprising a control ling element actuated by said platform in the swinging of the latter toward a side of the hearse.

2. In a hearse of the side-delivery type, a platform, power-operated means for moving said platform lengthwise of the hearse, said platform being adapted to swing at one end toward a side of the hearse, a laterally extending guide engageable by a portion of said platform, and controlling means for said power-operated means comprising a controlling element actuated by said platform in the swinging of the latter toward a side of the hearse and serving to releasably lock said platform against accidental swinging out of normal position.

3. In a hearse of the side-delivery type, a platform, power-operated means for moving said platform lengthwise of the hearse, said,

platform being adapted to swing at one end toward a side of the hearse, a laterally extending guide engageable by a portion of said platform, and controlling means for said power-operated means comprising a locking element actuated out of locking position by said platform in the swinging of the latter toward a side of the hearse.

4-. In a hearse of the side-delivery type, a platform, power-operated means for moving said platform lengthwise of the hearse,

said platform being adapted to swing at one end toward. a side of thehearse, a laterally extending guide engageable by a portion of said platform, and controlling means for said power-operated means comprising a locking element actuated out of locking position by said platform in the swinging of the latter toward a side of the hearse, said locking eloment also operating to releasably lock said platform against accidental swing out of normal position. I

' 5. In a hearse of theside-de'livery type, a platform, power-operated means for moving said platform lengthwise of the hearse, said platform being adapted to swing at one end toward either side of the hearse, guides extending laterally in opposite directions and engageable by a portion of said platform, and controlling means for said power-operated means comprising a controlling element actuated by said platform in the swinging of,the latter.

6. Ina hearse of the side-delivery type. a

platform, power-operated means for moving said platform lengthwise of the hearse, said platform being adapted to swing at one end toward either side of the hearse, guides extending laterally in opposite directions and engageable by a portion of said platform, and controlling means for said power-operated device comprising a controlling element actuated by said platform in the swinging of the mal position.

7. In a hearse of the side-delivery type, a platform, power-operated means for moving said platform lengthwise of the hearse, said platform being adapted to swing at one end toward either side of the hearse, guides extending laterally in opposite directions and engageable by a portion of said platform, and controlling means for said power-operated means comprising a locking element actuated by said platform in the swinging of the latter.

8. In a hearse of the side-delivery type, a platform, power-operated means for moving said platform lengthwise of the hearse, said platform being adapted to swing at one end toward either side of the hearse, guides extending laterally in opposite directions and engageable by a portion of said platform, and controlling means for said power-operated means comprising a locking element actuated by said platform in the swinging of the latter and operating to releasably lock said platform against accidental swinging out of nor- 

